Connector device



Patented Dec. 18, 1951 CONNECTOR DEVICE Samuel- Bartlett McKenzie,Toronto, Ontario,

Qanada, assigner to Connector Locks (Canada) Limited, Toronto, Ontario,Canada., a corporation of Canada Application December 31, 1946, SerialNo. 719,365

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-302) This invention relates to connector devices;more particularly to connector devices of the type enablingseparatestructures or members to b e latched tightly together and to beunlatched and separated at will.

The novel connector device of the invention possesses bolt and keepermechanism so formed and arranged that vibration thereof, or of thestructures or members to which applied in use, will act only to tightenthe latching relationship,

and will increase rather than reduce the efectiveness of the device.

Further, the device of the invention is arranged for-application toseparate structures or members which come together directly insubstantially mutually abutting relationship; that is to say, so thatthe bolt and keeper parts of -the device which are secured to therespective structures or members lie within and move along asubstantially common plane during the movement into and out of connectedor latched relationship. The bolt slides directly into and out of thekeeperupon the aforesaid movement of the separate structures or members,and the movable latching portion of the bolt is operable by meansslidably disposed within Va slideway associated with the bolt and lyingwithin and along the aforesaid common plane.

An object of the invention is to provide a connector device useful for avariety of specialized applications, Wherever vibration is a problem,for example, for the constantly-tight latching agreat number of diierenttypes Aof sliding closures, and, again,.for the detachable yetconstantly-tight connection of structural ,members in portable buildingconstruction, the ends of strap retainers for vcinching down cargo fortransit, etc.

An object is to provide such a connector device, which is simple,space-saving, and inexpensive in construction, and which ispositive-acting in operation.

These and further objects and features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description .of .the preferred specificembodiment illustrated in thev accompanying drawings.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 representsa side elevation of the device in its interconnectedand latched condition;

Fig. 2, a similar view, but showing the opposite side of the device;

Fig. 3, a vertical section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a View corresponding to that of Fig. 2,

but illustrating the `two parts of the Vdevice unlatched and separated;

Fig. 5, a view corresponding to the left-hand portion of Fig. 4, namely,the bolt portion, illustrating the movable wedging member retracted intodisengaged or unlatched position;

Fig. 6, an end elevation of the bolt as viewed from the line 6 6, Fig.5;

Fig. 7, an end elevation of the keeper as viewed from the line IL-l,FigJl; and v Fig. 8. a top plan view corresponding to Fig. 4 but drawnto a somewhat reduced scale.

Referring now to the drawing: The bolt part oi the device is indicatedIl! and the keeper part II. K

The bolt proper includes a stationary guide member i2 secured as by thescrews I3, ,I3 to a suitable mount I, which may be an integral part ofone of the structures to be interconnected or may be a piece adapted tobe attached to such structure.

The mount It is in this instance recessed to receive the bolt, and thebolt is inset therein flush with the recessed face thereof, see Fig. 6.

The keeper II is hollow, having opposing interior walls IIa and IIbconverging toward an entry mouth I5. The wall IIa slopes relative to thewall IIb, thereby providing a keeper surface for the bolt. The wall IIbprovides a guide surface. The keeper may be formed integral with theother of the structures to be interconnected or may be a separate piecesuitably inset therein or attached thereto.

The stationary guide member I2 of the bolt has a free end IZa, whichprojects from the recess of the mount Iii as illustrated. Such end I2ais here shown of wedge formation, diverging outwardly, with its upperWedge surface grooved as a slideway', see I6.

VThe bolt also includes a movable wedging member, Vhere indicated as ablock I1 mounted for sliding movement along the upper Wedge surface ofthe stationary guide member I2. A tongue Ila ts into the groove IIS indove-tail fashion, thereby securing the wedging block I1 tothe upperwedge surface of the guide member I2, on which it slides. Such movablewedging member of the bolt cooperates with the keeper surface IIa inlatching the separable parts of the device together.

The bolt is arranged to slide directly into the keeper as the respectivestructures or members to which they are attached are brought togetheralong a common plane, see Fig. 8, and the operative means effective onthe movable Wedging member of the bolt lies within and extends alongsaid common plane.

The operating means is arranged for reciprocation within a longitudinalslideway associated in said common plane with the stationary guidemember I2 of the bolt. Here, the slideway is formed longitudinally of aportion I2b of the stationary guide member which juts out from the mainbody thereof at a location spaced backwardly from the projecting forwardend I2a. Such slideway is designated I8.

Fitted within the slideway I8 for sliding reciprocation therealong is aslide member, shown as a pin IS. The forward end thereof isarticulatively connected to the movable wedging member, sucharticulative connection here conveniently taking the form of a link 20pivotally connected at one of its ends to the pin I9 and at its other tothe wedging block I'I, as illustrated.

A handle 21|, arranged for manual manipulation exterorly of the device,is secured to the forward end portion of the pin I9 as by means of ascrew 22, and between such screw 22 and the slideway portion IZb of thestationary guide member of the bolt a coil spring 23 encircles the pinI0. Disposed as it is between'handle screw 2| and the abutment furnishedby slideway portion I2b, and being normally under compression, suchspring 23 maintains the wedging block I1 in its extreme forward positionupon the projecting end of stationary guide member I2 of the bolt whenthe bolt and keeper parts are separated, as is the case in Fig. 4. Suchposition is maintained against the normal size of spring 23, it shouldbe noted, by reason of the fact that handle screw 22 is at the forwardend of the slideway slot 24 (appearing in Fig. l) in mount I4, throughwhich it extends and along which it reciprocates.

When the wedging block I1 is retracted, either by pushing handle 2I backmanually against the Iurge of spring 23 or by allowing it to be pushedback by forcibly shoving the bolt into the keeper upon interconnectingthe two structures, the bolt appears as illustrated in Fig. 5. This isthe disengaged or unlatched position. Forcing of the handle, slide, andwedging block forwardly by the spring 23 means that, when the bolt iswithin the keeper, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the wedging block II makeslatching contact with keeper surface IIa short of the extreme forwardposition of Fig. 4, thereby affording leeway for further wedging travelof the wedge block relative to the stationary guide member I2a uponwhich it is mounted and to the keeper surface. Accordingly any loosenessoccasioned by wear is automatically corrected, and tight connection isconstantly maintained under all circumstances of use.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect toa preferred specific form vthe teachings hereof by those skilled in theart without departing from the generic scope of the invention as definedby the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a connector device for detachably con necting together twoseparate structures which may be brought together along a substantiallycommon plane, one structure having secured thereto a hollow keeperhaving opposing interior walls converging to an entry mouth, one of suchopposing walls providing a guide surface and the other a keeper surface,a bolt mechanism secured to the other structure for sliding insertionwithin and latching cooperation with the keeper of the rst structure,said bolt mechanism comprising: a stationary guide member adapted toslide into the keeper of the first structure along the guide surfacethereof, a movable wedging member mounted on said stationary guidemember for making latching contact with the keeper surface on the keeperof the first structure, a spring constantly urging said movable wedgingmember toward the free front end of said stationary guide member,operating means attached to said movable wedging member, and a slidewayassociated with said stationary guide member of the bolt mechanism, saidsldeway lying within and extending along the common plane of the twostructures, said operating means comprising a slide mounted in saidslideway, a link articulatively connecting said slide with said wedgingmember, and a handle projecting from said slide.

2. In a connector device for detachably connecting together two separatestructures, one structure having secured thereto a hollow keeper havingopposing interior walls converging to an entry mouth, one of suchopposing walls providing a guide surface and the other a keeper surface,a bolt mechanism secured to the other structure for sliding insertionwithin and latching cooperation with the keeper of the rst structure,said bolt mechanism comprising: a stationary guide member adapted toslide into the keeper of the first structure along the guide surfacethereof, a movable wedging member mounted on said stationary guidemember for making latching contact with the keeper surface on the keeperof the first structure, a slideway associated with said stationary guidemember, and operating free front end of said stationary guide member.

SAMUEL BARTLETT MCKENZIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,047,623 Felts July 14, 19362,195,542 Shaffer et al Apr. 2, 1940 2,230,409 McKenzie Feb. 4, 1941

